I'm happy to be back in New York after a weekend trip to Orlando, Florida for work. Being in the warm weather was amazing, but since we didn't have that much free time to actually be outside it was kind of a tease. I'm sleep deprived and on the verge of catching a cold, so being back home in my own bed couldn't feel better.

Growing up in an Italian family, Eggplant Parmesan was pretty much a staple in my diet, along with pasta and my grandmas meatballs. Seriously, in my family we have lasagna for Thanksgiving. There is nothing more satisfying than a fresh batch of delicious breaded eggplant coated in sauce and cheese in my opinion. Feel free to add in chicken or meat sauce, but please, don't skimp on the cheese!

Eggplant Parmesan

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt, pepper and basil

1 large jar of tomato sauce (I would normally make my own sauce but was feeling too lazy)

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1 cup fresh basil

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup fresh mozzarella, sliced

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Dip eggplant slices first in flour, then eggwash, then breadcrumbs, coating evenly. Place coated eggplant on a baking sheet. After all eggplant is coated and seasoned, bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

When eggplant slices are browned and tender, remove from oven. In a deep baking dish, drizzle olive oil and place down first layer of eggplant. Layer eggplant, ricotta, tomato slices, tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil, and parmesan cheese. Repeat until all the ingredients are used and until the dish is full.

Bake for 40 minutes, until cooked all the way through and cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh basil and shave more parmesan cheese on top. Serve warm!